Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तेऽपि चैत्रस्य कृष्णादौ स्नातास्तत्राकृताशनाः । भवंति नीरुजः सद्यश्चित्रासंस्थे निशाकरे

Transliteration

te'pi caitrasya kṛṣṇādau snātāstatrākṛtāśanāḥ | bhavaṃti nīrujaḥ sadyaścitrāsaṃsthe niśākare

Translation

അവരും ചൈത്രമാസത്തിലെ കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷത്തിന്റെ തുടക്കത്തിൽ ഉപവാസമെടുത്ത്, ചന്ദ്രൻ ചിത്തിര നക്ഷത്രത്തിൽ നിൽക്കുമ്പോൾ അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ ഉടൻ തന്നെ രോഗവിമുക്തരാകും.

Word by Word

• te: They
• te: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• api: Also/Even
• api: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api
• Form: Particle

• caitrasya: Of Chaitra month
• caitrasya: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caitra (चैत्र)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• kṛṣṇādau: In the beginning of the dark fortnight
• kṛṣṇādau: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇādi (kṛṣṇa-ādi)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• snātāḥ: Bathed
• snātāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snā (स्ना)
• Form: Kt Pratyaya (Past Participle), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• tatra: There
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra
• Form: Adverb

• akṛtāśanāḥ: Fasting (lit. having not taken food)
• akṛtāśanāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṛtāśana (a-kṛta-aśana)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• bhavanti: Become
• bhavanti: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू)
• Form: Lat (Present), Parasmaipada, Prathama Purusha (3rd Person), Bahuvachana (Plural)

• nīrujaḥ: Free from disease
• nīrujaḥ: Kartri-puraka (Subject Complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīruj (nir-ruj)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• sadyaḥ: Immediately
• sadyaḥ: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyas
• Form: Adverb

• citrāsaṃsthe: Situated in Chitra Nakshatra
• citrāsaṃsthe: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citrāsaṃstha (citrā-saṃstha)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• niśākare: When the Moon (is present)
• niśākare: Sati Saptami (Locative Absolute)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśākara (niśā-kara)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

Speaker

Brahmin sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night or dawn at the tīrtha: the moon shines with Citrā’s star nearby; afflicted pilgrims fast and enter the water; on emerging they appear radiant and healed.

Characters & Entities

• Caitra (month)
• kṛṣṇa pakṣa
• Citrā nakṣatra
• Śaṅkhatīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time, discipline, and sacred place combine—proper tīrtha-snāna with vrata-like restraint is praised as swiftly fruit-bearing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhatīrtha, where the prescribed bath is said to remove illness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at the tīrtha at the start of Caitra’s dark fortnight while fasting, especially when the moon is in Citrā.